The present invention relates generally to an article of clothing or a garment, and more particularly to neck warmers, masks, and visors.
Convertible garments have been proposed for selectively covering a wearer's head, face, or neck. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,380 discloses an article of headwear which is convertible between a hat, a neck warmer and an arm band. A method of converting the article between these uses is also disclosed. The article has a tubular covering of a stretchable knitted fabric with a VELCRO closure at one end of the tube. A slit, which is closeable by a zipper, extends from the VELCRO closeable end of the article approximately halfway to the open end. With the zipper closed and the VELCRO closure open, the article may be rolled and worn around a wearer's arm as an arm band. With the zipper and VELCRO end both closed, the article is used as a hat. With the zipper and VELCRO closure open, the article may be pulled over the head and worn in turtleneck fashion as a neck warmer. In this neck warmer configuration, the hook portion of the VELCRO closure may disadvantageously become entangled in the fabric of a wearer's sweater, shirt or jacket causing damage, or may project through such an undergarment to irritate the wearer's skin.
Another such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,449,766 as a convertible head covering or dickey. The article is of a stretchable knit material having a tubular portion which forms a turtleneck of the dickey, and front and rear portions which extend downwardly from the tubular portion when worn as a dickey. To form a crown portion of the head covering or hat, the front and rear portions are interconnected by a snap and the tubular portion encircles the wearer's head. This article does not provide any protection or covering for a wearer's face.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,447 discloses a convertible head and neck enclosing mask and a skull-type hat. The article is of a stretchable knit material having eye holes and a mouth hole therethrough and stretchably conforming to the remaining features of a wearer's head and neck. The face mask has a loop at the top of the crown and a button below the mouth hole. The loop and button are interconnected to cover the eye and mouth holes for use as the skull-type hat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,417 discloses a convertible survival cap having two pair of VELCRO-closeable flaps, one pair for covering a wearer's nose and the other pair for covering the chin. The cap also has a bill portion which extends outward over a wearer's eyes and a rear portion which extends downward to cover the back of a wearer's neck. VELCRO attachments are provided on the outside of the cap to secure the nose and chin flaps in position away from the face. VELCRO attachments are also provided to lift and secure the rear portion away from a wearer's neck so the survival cap may be worn in a baseball cap configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,258 discloses a long sleeved T-shirt having a neck opening and a semi-stiff bill projecting downwardly at the rear of the neck opening. The shirt may be worn as a hat with the bill extending over a wearer's eyes and the neck band portion of the shirt encircling the top of a wearer's head. The balance of the shirt body drapes downwardly from the back of a wearer's head and the shirt sleeves may be tied behind the head.
A variety of other garments are known, such as the rubber face mask shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,240.